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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24019633">Tales of an Anti-social Viper</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>How Do I Tag, Siblings, Snakes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:27:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,225</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24019633</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>My brother could have at least told me he was back in town!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tales of an Anti-social Viper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>idk I wrote this 2 years ago and just found it so I see no problem in posting</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I'm pretty sure it is my brother that is staring at me, but I'm not sure. I hope it’s Nick, if not then this random stranger has some explaining to do.<br/>
As he was walking towards me, I was thinking of things to say. "Hi, are you Nick?"; no, if he were Nick that would just be embarrassing.<br/>
"Hello, person"; god no, who calls anyone person.<br/>
"Hello, total stranger, that I have never met before." Yeah, let's go with that one. I mean if it's Nick then he will just find it funny, if not then I hope the person has a sense of humor.<br/>
As he walks towards me -still not breaking eye contact- I start to really worry, "Hey," he says easily, totally oblivious to my conundrum. "How’s the job?" Oh, so it is my brother. Good to know.<br/>
If I have any social skills I would say something along the lines of; "It's good.", "Same old, same old." or even "meh.". I couldn't do that, that would be too socially competent. So I in all of my glory I blurt out, "Hello total stranger, that I have never met before." And to top it all off I give an awkward wave + giggle combo.<br/>
"Hello to you too?" He inquires quisically.<br/>
After a pause of silence that was just a little too long not to be weird he finally breaks it. "So why are you here? Don't you have an apartment just a couple blocks away?"<br/>
Now I do have an apartment, but I can’t tell him that.<br/>
"Oh, you know, just wanted some coffee," I reply casually, hoping he would drop it. Of course, he didn’t.<br/>
"Well, I happen to have just ordered two cups of delicious, dark, black, basically tasteless coffee." My brother practically sang."Come on, you can have one, then you can show me this new place of yours." He sat down gesturing for me to do the same.<br/>
“Umm, no can do. Sorry. My flatmate Emma… umm… she has guests over.” I supply, knowing that it is a terrible excuse.<br/>
"Come on, I promised mom I would send photos." Whined Nick.<br/>
I nervously twirl my hair, letting the single curl fall over my shoulder. "Umm, well, I mean, you see the problem is that, umm, so..." I stumble over the words, cursing my inability to talk properly when I get nervous.<br/>
The barista saves me from trying to talk again, by calling my brother's name. He goes over to pick up the hot drinks. "Come on, let's go."<br/>
I, being the strong, stubborn person I am, give in. "Okay, umm, sure. Let's go, I guess.”<br/>
As I head outside, the cold air hits my face, instantly freezing it. Still trying to think of a way to not let him go to my apartment, as I lead him exactly where I don't want him to go.<br/>
As Nick droned on and on about who-knows-what, I think of the perfect way to not lead him to where I am staying.<br/>
I stay silent for a few more minutes listening to his constant chatter.<br/>
After I turn left a few more times, throwing a right turn in there at the end, I think it might be time to put my not very well thought out plan into action. “Umm, Nick” I break in, “So, funny thing, you see the problem is” I take a deep breath. “I kinda mighta sorta forgot where my apartment is.”<br/>
He raises an eyebrow, a feat I have never been able to do. “You forgot where you are living?”<br/>
“Maybe...”<br/>
“Do you have the address?” He asks sensibly.<br/>
“Oh yeah, sure. Just let me get it.” I pull out my $20 flip phone.<br/>
He types the address that I showed him into his smartphone. “Don’t worry we’re not that far.” My brother starts walking, going back to his aimless rambling.<br/>
After a few twists and turns, I start to see familiar buildings.<br/>
He stops in front of the apartment that I know is mine, obviously eyeing it up.<br/>
I go up the walkway, hoping that Nick wasn't judging too much. As I open the door I was wondering what to do, I mean I couldn’t let him into the apartment, but there was no way to turn back now.<br/>
When we were going up the stairs, I start really start panicking. “I really don't think that we, umm, like… Do we need to, like, go to the apartment.” I blurt out.<br/>
Nick raised his eyebrow again, “Hiding something?”<br/>
“N- no.”<br/>
“Then there is no reason for me not to go.”<br/>
How reasonable. Trying to think of an excuse, “But my flatmate Emma! She has guests.”<br/>
“I’m sure she won't mind. Everyone loves me.” Sadly that is true, I have yet to meet a human that doesn’t like him.<br/>
I wonder if I could lead him to the wrong apartment, but almost like he is telepathic, he starts talking again.<br/>
“So is your place around here?” My brother says, turning in a full circle.<br/>
Showing the true power of my stubbornness again, I point to the appropriate door.<br/>
My brother pauses for a second, looking at me. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”<br/>
Saving me from answering, Emma opened the apartment door. “Hi, Rae!” She giggled, practically bouncing. “How are you? So I fed Max, Awsten, Killer, Bubble Gum, Blackberry-”<br/>
“Yeah, okay.” I cut in.<br/>
“Who are they?” Nick asks looking at me as if I have magically grown another head.<br/>
“Well-” I start.<br/>
“They are the snakes we are caring for. You know, we are running a mini snake kennel. So when people go away, they can leave their snakes with us. Didn’t Rae tell you?” Now they are both looking at me. I shift my gaze downward, hoping to avoid an interrogation.<br/>
“You run a snake kennel? So this is why you didn’t want me here? Dude that is strange, you should’ve told me. What do you have to do? Do you play with them? How do you play with snakes? Do they bite?” Nick blabbers, finally stopping for air. At this point in time I know something is wrong, he never rambles like that.<br/>
“We mainly feed them, although some of them are nice, so we play with them.” Emma answers.<br/>
“That is so cool. Can I go in? I want to see them. Are any of them cute? ” Nick says very quickly, looking at Emma, not me. His breath picks up the pace.<br/>
“Yeah sure come on in,” Emma responds unhelpfully.<br/>
“Sick, thanks.” He walks in and stops. “That is, umm… Wow…” I had never seen him speechless before, it was nice to see the roles reversed. I don’t think he fully appreciate how many snakes there were in our snake kennel.<br/>
“Yeah, so that is Max,” Emma said pointing at a corn snake. “That is Blackberry.” This time it is pointing at a children's python. Which wasn’t black.<br/>
I see Nick quietly take some photos, while Emma continues introducing them.<br/>
“I think that... I should get going… I have to go do…  Stuff.” My brother vaguely announced.<br/>
“Okay?” Emma looked like she wanted to ask more.<br/>
Nick instantly rushed out the door, probably heading back to the coffee shop.<br/>
Emma looked at me strangely, definitely wondering what happened.<br/>
“He hates snakes.”</p>
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